But one look at Meryl Streep, the actress who portrays her, and you realise that she, at least, certainly defies that remark. The Oscar-winning actress looks a decade younger than her 64 years.

Chuckling at the unexpected compliment, a bespectacled Streep says: "The world will tell you that is true, but individually, we can defy the world's wisdom."

The star of films like Julie & Julia, Mamma Mia! and The Hours has made history after receiving her 18th Oscar nomination for her performance in the big screen adaptation of Tracy Letts's Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

She already has three statuettes in her possession (Best Supporting Actress for Kramer Vs Kramer in 1979, and Best Actress for Sophie's Choice in 1983 and The Iron Lady in 2012).

Julia Roberts, who plays Streep's daughter Barbara in the movie, is up for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar and a Bafta.

"I'm so happy for our film, that Julia and I have been nominated. We're both so proud of August: Osage County," says Streep.

Things could have been very different, though – she turned the part down at first.

Streep is no stranger to portraying 'hard' women – after all, this is the actress who took on the opinion-dividing former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (The Iron Lady), tyrannical magazine editor Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada) and an accusing nun (Doubt) – but she wasn't sure about sharp-tongued, pill-popping cancer-stricken matriarch Violet.

The story revolves around Violet's strained relationship with her family.

Tensions build as the story unfolds – one scene even sees Roberts strangle Streep.

"I said no, because who really wants to sign up to know what it feels like to have mouth cancer, children that hate you, a husband who'd rather kill himself than be in your presence, and chemotherapy, pills, misery and a horrible past?" Streep continues.

"Because part of that pain, you realise as you get older, is these things cost you more, in a weird way.

"You carry them home, you feel you bleed more easily with it."

Streep was persuaded to sign on when she heard her co-stars would be Juliette Lewis and Sam Shepard as well as Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper and Benedict Cumberbatch: "It's a great part and I thought, 'Hell, such a cast'. How could I not?" Streep says, adding: "I fell in love when I met Benedict. Everybody does!"

As for her character: "It was a horrible little hot-ball of burning lead that I carried around in my stomach for a while, but there is also great pleasure in knowing it's fiction."